1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to excavating and more particularly to the digging edge of scoops used in excavating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In earthmoving equipment, the leading edge of the blade is subjected to extreme wear due to the continual action of soil, rocks and the like, abrading away on the leading edges. Various devices have been proposed for protecting the blade leading edges. These devices are generally in the form of replaceable bits mounted on the blade in a position to provide an extra wear surface. The bits are usually indexible with respect to the blade for continual repositioning to provide a new wear surface. Since most blade wear occurs at its lower outside corners, the bits are usually placed there. As a result, some of the known blades are reversible. Some known indexible bits expose an equal amount of new wear material at their inside and outside edges as the bit is incrementally indexed from a first row of apertures to a second parallel row of apertures. Others include non-parallel or diverging rows of apertures but pivot about a single point during indexing. As a result these bits expose substantially no new wear surface at the inside edge but progressively expose more wear material at the outside edge. It would be an advantage to have a reversible, indexible bit which provides new material all along the edge of the bit with an increased amount of material at the outside corners of the blade where the greatest amount of blade wear occurs.